David olmsted



(No Model.)

D.0LMSTED. COIN CONTROLLED POSTAGE STAMP MACHINE. No. 427,005;

Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

The means PEYKRS cm, Puma-mum, vasumcn'ox, n. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID OLMSTED, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM H. SEMON, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-CONTROLLED POSTAGE-STAMP MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 427,005, dated April 29, 1890.

Application filed April 15, 1889. Serial No. 307,229. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID OLMSTED, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Coin- Controlled Postage-Stamp Machine, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 4

My invention relates to coin-controlled postage-stamp machines; and it has for its object to provide a construction which will render it impossible to move the stamp-magazine except upon the application of the proper coin.

The machine embodying my invention 00 111- prises .a suitable inclosing-case provided with a coin-conduit and an opening for the withdrawal of the stamps, a revoluble stamp-magazine mounted on .a supporting-spindle within the case, a device for actuating the magazine, and a coin-controlled latch for locking the actuating device. The case may be of any suitable kind. The stamp-magazine is preferably a wheel with radial slits on its periphery or one face, each adapted to hold one or more stamps. On dropping the proper coin in the conduit the actuating device is unlocked, and by moving the actuating device the wheel is turned forward a single step, bringing one or more of the slits in front of the opening in the face of the case, and the stamp or stamps in that particular slit may be withdrawn. The actuating device is under tension, and at the end of each forward movement of the wheel returns to its normal position, wherein it is automatically locked by the latch.

Such machines are especially designed for druggists and stationers use to avoid the nuisance of handling and making change for small purchasers of postage-stamps. It is essential to the success of the machine that the construction should be such as to preclude any possibility of tampering with the stampwheel so as to extract more than the coins worth of stamps. Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced on this point without introducing complex mechanism. In some one or more positions of the actuating device after release by the coin and before relocking by the latch it has usually been possible broken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of the same on the line y y, and Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the Wheel actuating and locking mechanism detached.

A A is the hollow supporting-case. As shown,A is the permanent body or bed of the case, and A is a removable face-plate, which, when in position, is locked to the bed-section A. This face-plate A is provided with an opening Ct for extraction'of the stamps.

B is a wheel-supporting spindle secured to the bed-section A in any suitable way, as by the pedestal a, and having enlarged and reduced portions 1) b, respectively.

0 is the stamp-magazine, constructed in the form of a wheel, with radial slits c in its periphery for holding the stamps. On its back this wheel is provided with a series of proj ecting pins D. The wheel is mounted on the reduced portion 1) of the spindle B and freely turns thereon.

E is a reciprocating bar arranged transversely to the pins D. As shown, it is provided with a central slot e, through which projects the spindle B, and has its extremities resting in bearings on the opposite sides of the case, one of which is extended outward and provided with a push-head E. The central slot 6 is of the proper length to allow and limit the necessary transverse movement of the bar.

F is a retraction-spring attached to the pedestal a at one end and at the other to the bar E, tendingto hold the bar in its normal position. The bar E is provided on its under side with a notch or seat e.

G is a pivoted gravity-latch adapted in its normal position to engage with the notch e on the bar E and prevent movement of the ICU same. The latch G is provided at one end with a slotted arm g. Over the arm g iits a slotted slide II, which is held' in its normal position by a spring h, secured to the latch G. In the normal position of the slide the two slots do not register throughout their entire length, a part of the slot in the slide being over the body of the arm The slide H is provided with a stud h, and the bar E is provided with a projecting arm E, adapted .to engage with the stud h and actuate the slide H in the forward movement of the bar.

K is the coin conduit or chute, of any desired construct-ion, in a position to direct the coin to the slot in the slide ll.

L is a fixed cam, and L a pivoted cam on the face of the bar E in position to engage with the pins D.

L" is a retraction-sprin g secured at one end to the bar E and at the other to the pivoted cam L, tending to hold the same in its normal position in contact with the fixed cam L.

M is a stop for limiting the outward movement of the pivoted cam. The outer end of the fixed cam L has two inclined converging surfaces and the outer end of the pivoted cam L is pawl-shaped. In the normal position of the bar E the fixed cam L lies between two of the adjacent pins D and the stamp wheel cannot be moved in either direction. The slot in the slide II is of a size to pass only the particular coinas, for exam ple,a nickel-- required for the number of stamps held in the slits exposed under the stamp-opening a.

The operation is as follows: On dropping the coin into the conduit K it passes to the slot in the slide ll, and is there held until the bar E is moved forward. By its weight the coin moves the latch G out of engagement with the notch c of the bar E. 011 then pushing inward on the head E the pivoted cam L is thrown into contact with one of the pins D, moving the wheel forward a half-step and bringing the next adjacent pin between the inner end of the pivoted cam and the adjacent inclined surface of the fixed cam. On then letting go of the head E the spring F retracts the bar E to its normal position and the fixed cam L comes in contact with the pin, forcing the wheel forward another halfstep and passing the pin between the two cams. It will be seen that the wheel cannot be turned except by the movement of the bar E. hen in its normal position, the fixed cam lies between the two adjacent pins, and when in any other position the pivoted cam hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a machine for vending postage-stamps, the combination, with a pin-wheel provided with means for holding the stamps, of a transversely-movable bar provided with a fixed and a movable cam and a coin-controlled device for locking said bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the stamp-holding wheel provided with the projecting pins, of the transversely-movable bar provided with the fixed and the pivoted cams, one of which is always between two adjacent pins of said wheel, a stop for limiting the movement of the pivoted cam, and a coincontrolled device for locking said bar, substantially as de scribed, whereby in all positions of said bar said wheel will be locked from movement otherwise than by a full stroke of said bar.

3. The combination, with a stamp-holding wheel provided with the projecting pins, of the transversely-movable bar provided with the fixed and the pivoted cams, one of which is always between two adjacent pins of said wheels, a stop for limiting the outward movement of the pivoted cam, and a spring for returning the same to its normal position, and a coin-controlled device for locking said bar, substantially as described.

4 The combination, with the stamp-holding wheel having a series of pins, as described, of a transversely-movable bar provided with a fixed cam near one end, a pivoted cam the point of which is adjacent to said fixed cam, and a spring attached to said pivoted cam and bar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the stamp-holding wheel having a series of pins, of the movable bar E, provided with a fixed cam L, pivoted cam L, stop M, and spring L, substantially as set forth.

. DAVID OLMSTED.

In presence of-- J AS. F. WILLIAMSON, EMMA F. ELMoRE.

ICO 

